Emergencies Ministry: Arctic rescue centers to receive sea vessels

All Arctic accident rescue centers operated by Russia's Emergencies Ministry will have sea vessels and air-cushion ships, according to Head of the Department for Water Safety Vadim Seryogin, TASS reports.

"I suggest that each of the ten Arctic comprehensive accident rescue centers have one Arctic-class sea rescue vessel, designed to travel for up to 15 days without stopping to refuel, as well as two air-cushion ships," Seryogin said during a conference call.

Emergencies Minister Vladimir Puchkov said that Arctic rescue units need specialized air-cushion vessels. "Please prepare proposals for the operation of our units in the Arctic during the summer," he said. "We need vehicles that are able to move across swamps without damaging flora."

Over the past four years, Emergencies Ministry specialists have conducted over 5,000 search-and-rescue operations, rescuing over 7,000 people.